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DB coach Blue Adams breaking down film

On Monday evening, the Miami Dolphins opened up this aspect of preparations to the fan, by conducting a film session featuring their assistant defensive backs coach Blue Adams.

Before I get to the session, here’s a quick biography on Adams, who’s entering his third season on the Dolphins’ staff. He is a native of Miami who was drafted in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, then bounced around and played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons.

The first things, anytime a young man walks in a building, these three things he has to have, as a defensive player. First thing I’m looking for is he has to be sound. Our defense, has to be sound. When I say sound, it has to have some integrity, it just can’t be something that you just bring out in the air, and just create. It has to have some integrity.

“Next thing I’m going to talk about is it has to be a smart player. A lot of times you get great guys, great men, that are athletic, but they’re not necessarily that smart. We want to stay away from those players. We want sound players, we want smart players and the third thing that we like is we like to have our tough players.

“Tough men, this game is a tough game, it’s a physical game, it’s a brutal game. The last thing you want is a guy that’s not tough.”

As Coach Adams was describing what he wanted for a player, I could only think of the current players on the Dolphins secondary. Each of them fit this mold, from All-Pro Brent Grimes, to Safety Jimmy Wilson.

This also explains the Cortland Finnegan signing, one of my least favorite of the offseason. While I do worry that some of his skills have eroded, he is a smart, sound and tough player, and has been throughout the duration of his career.

Finally, Adams wrapped the session up by looking at the biggest defensive drive of the season, Week 15 against the New England Patriots. Miami was leading 24-20 with one minute and fifteen seconds left.

Adams called it “one of the biggest games we’ve played”, then pointed out how on that final drive, the Dolphins having smart players was a must, due to the absence of both Brent Grimes and Nolan Carroll, the two starting corners.

“That’s Will Davis, rookie at the time, hadn’t played a whole lot. But at the time, he has to go. This other guy here is Mike Thomas, only been here for three days, but he has to go. This guy at the bottom is Jimmy Wilson, a safety by trade, but he has to get in and play corner, and he has to go.

“We only have to hold this guy for a minute and 15 seconds, that’s all we’re asking them to do, and that’s what they’re going to do. They have to do it.”

Coach Adams then broke down every play in the drive, from the first play that was offsides, to the final play.

“I can tell you this; any time that Tom Brady is allowed to sit back there and hold the spot, it’s trouble for us, big time trouble for us. You got to get him off the spot, you gotta create plays to get him off the spot.” Adams says, pointing out how the Dolphins (or any team) has to make sure that Brady has pressure on him.

Adams went through each play and explained how each play went down. He went out of his way to point out Michael Thomas and how he had only been in Miami for 72 hours prior to the game, yet was on the field for a final drive against Brady.

This praise is first seen on a play where Brady completes the pass to Shane Vereen for two yards.

“What he does great, is that with a minute and nine seconds left, he kept this guy inbounds. It’s great, it’s absolutely amazing, you had to be there. You have to be there to understand that energy. What we’re asking these guys to do, regardless if you’re the starter, or the ninth man on the depth chart, you have to get it done.

Adams would then continue to explain the importance of pressure on the quarterback, explaining that Brady is a different player when he has to move, which is why “we gotta get him off the spot.”

Adams then shows bad coverage by Thomas on a 12-yard reception to Danny Amendola, but points out Reshad Jones being at the point to tackle Amendola before he could gain more yardage on the play.

That play was followed by a timeout by New England, which meant during the session we would fast-forward to the next play, which was an outright disaster. I’ll let Coach Adams explain what happened to allow the play (a 24-yard completion to Amendola) occur.

“This time, they’re going to create motion here, trying to isolate Will Davis. There’s poor communication here between Will Davis and one of the middle backs, we wound up turning the guy loose.”